Ditching machine



June 7, 1927. 1,631,639

w. H. MCDONALD DITCHING MACHINE Filed June 2l, 1926 Patented June 7, 1927.

.PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. MCDONALD, F OVERTON, NEVADA.

DITGHING MACHINE.

Application led .Time 21, 1926. ySerial No1-17,304.

This :invention relates 4to a machine vfor making irrigation ditches or trenches on farms or ranches. the invention is `to provide .an implement 5 of `simple construction which Can 'be drawn along by :horses or a ltractor vand which will operate to form a shallow trench or ditch behind them.

A further object of the invention yis :to

l provide a construction for the .frame of the implement which will facilitate moving the horses to the other Vside of 'the cutters of the implement .so as to facilitate the reversal of direction of movement ofthe imc plement. rin this way, the implement can be ,pulled back and forthl in 'the .trench and it is constructed :to adapt yitself laute# matically to the ychange in direction of pull of the horses. Y

A further object 'of the invention is to provide simple meansy for locking the implement with the draft for `the horses or Vthe tractor disposed ateither side.

Further lobjects of the `invention will appear hereinafter. f

The invention consists lin the .novel vparts and combination of parts to be described hereinafter, all 'of which contribute to produce an eiiicient *ditching machi-ne. Y

A Ypreferred embodiment of .the invention is described in the rfollowing` specification, while the broadscope ofthe .invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

1n the-drawing: f Figure 1 is a verticalcross section taken about on the line 1-*1 of Fig. 2.

Figure Y2 is `a plan with certain parts broken away and shown in section. Figure 3 is a vertical section taken about on the :line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but upon an enlarged scale.

1l? rigure 4; 1s a cross section taken about `on the line l--ioff Fig. 2. `upon an enlarged scale. c f F In practicing` the invention, I provide two shafts 1 which `aresupported on the frame 2 of the implement in such a way thatthe shafts incline toward the v:rear vand converge toward -each Iother in xthis direction. v.These shafts are mounted so as tonrotate freely rlhe :general yobject ofi and kthey are provided with a plurality of dlisc cutters These cutters are vof progressively larger diameters from the front toward the rear, that is to say, the rearmo'st cutters have 'the largest diameters. The -im- 55 .p leme'nt maybe drawn along 'by horses attached 'to a pole Ll, the driver sitting upon the seat '5 (see Fig. 2). I provide means for connecting the forward part of lthe frame with ithe rear ends of the shafts 'l to limit 60 their lrearward movement. This means includes a swiv-eled' collar 6 lon each shaft near. `the rearmost cutter disc7 and this swiveled collar has an arm 7 which extends vrearwardly and an 'arm 8 Vwhich extends for- 555 wardly. 'To `the arms 8, chains are connected which extend forwardlyA with their forward ends connected to the frame. In a similar manner., chains 10 'are provided atl the rear which attach to the ends of the 7U arms T. These arms 7 extend out sufliciently so to enable the chains to clear the edges of the large cutter discs which are disposed near these arms.

The frame 2 is preferably of substantially 75" circular form and is most conveniently constructed of a channel bar (see Fig. 3) having a vertical web 11 and horizontal 'flanges 12 `and 13.

Between jtheflanges 12 and 13, a ring 14 80 d is mounted, and this ring is also of channel form. The ring 111 carries two bearings 15 which are disposed'opposite to each other on vthe frame. These bearings are constructedas swivel bearings. F or this purpose, each bearing` is formed of a large 'ball 16 which is held 'in a .rudimentary soclet 17 (see Fig'. 1.), and the ball is provided with a bore 18 which-operates as a bear-ing'for the end Vof the shaft. In this Way7 the 90 bearing; provides-for swiveling of the shaft and also permits la-'limitcd amount of movement lof the shaft to and Afro in the bearing.

In Fig. 1, the full lines indicate the manner in *whichA the device operates in practice. 7hen` it is drawn along by the horses, the weight of the discs depresses the rear ends of the shafts so that the shafts 1 not only incline toward the rear, but they kalso incline downwardly.

As the implement-is p drawn along, the cutters rotate and 'throu1 the dirt to one side and toward each side of the trench which is being formed.

Ifit is desired to form a trench of greater width than the approximate diameter of the frame, the implement should be drawn repeatedly down the trench with one set of dotted line indicates thek bank of the trench which `opposite to the bank 19.

In order to facilitate the reversal of the direction of the excavating discs or cutters,

A when the implement arrives at one end of the horses slightly to one side.

the trench, I provide means for enabling the circular frame 2 to be rotated on the ring v 14. However, this frame 9. is normally locked tothe ring 14 by means of a locking pin 21`(see 3). This vlocking pin moves up and down through a guide opening 22 in the flange 12, andits lowerend may extend into an opening 23 in the upper flange of the ring 14. A bell crank lever 24 is provided for lifting this pin when it is desired to release it. This bell crank lever has a hori- Zontally projecting bar i5 which the driver may rest his foot upon, and when he does so and'shoves down, the forked end 26 of the bell crank lever will press upwardly against the head 27 of the pin and lift it. is normally held down by a coil spring 28 which thrusts at its upper end against the under side of the forked end 2G, and at its lower end against a collar 29 carried on the pin. c

After the driver of the implement releases this pin, he holds` it out until he has shifted He can then release the bell crank lever 24 and the lower end of the pin :2l will then rest on the upper fare-of the upperflange of the ring 14. The driver then wheels the horses around tothe opposite side, and when the pin 2lrhas arrived at this point, it will drop into an opening'Q similar to the opening 23, but diametrically opposite to it (see Fig. 2).

In order to facilitate the guiding and ro-V tation of the circular frame on the ring 14, I may provide a plurality of bearing rollers 30 which are mounted to rotate on vertical axes (see Fig. 4). On their inner sides, the faces of these rollers engage the vertical web of the ring 14. c

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described .herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may tal-e,and I do not wish to be limit-ed in the The pin practice of the invention, nor in the claims',

ward the rear of the frame, said shaftsfhaving a plurality of cutter discs of different diameters with' the larger discs disposed toward the rear ends of the shafts, and meansy connecting the rear ends of the shafts with the frame for limiting their rearward movement. v i

2. In a ditching machine, the combination of a substantially circular frame, a pair ofV swivel bearings on o posite sides of said frame, a pair of sha ts extending through said bearings Vand. converging toward each other in a rearward direction, cutter discs mounted on said shafts, said cutter discs being ofdifferent diameters With the larger discs disposed toward the rear ends of the shafts, and means including chains connecting the rear ends of saidv shafts with said" frame, and operating to limit the rearward movement of the shafts.

In a ditching machine, the combination of a substantially circularframe, a ring ro tatably supported and guided on saidfcircular frame, a pair of oppositely disposed swivel bearingsy supported on said ring, a pair of shaftsdisposed inv an inclined'direction with their forward ends carried in said bearings and with thev rear portions of said shafts converging *toward each. other, said shafts having a plurality of cutter discs of different diameters with the larger discs dis-` posed toward the rear, and means including chains connecting thefshafts withthe ring to limit the rearward movement of the shafts. i Y Y 4. In a ditching machine', thecombination of a substantially circular frame, a ring rotatably supported and guided on saidvcircular frame, a pair of oppositelypdisposed" swivel vbearings supportedv on said ring, a pair of shafts disposed in aninclined direction with their forward ends carriedin said bearings and with the rear portions of said shafts converging toward each other, said shafts having a plurality of cutter discs of different diameters with the larger discs disposed toward the rear, means including chains connecting the shafts with the ring to limit the rearward movement ofthe shafts, and means for locking the ring-'to the lframe in different positions.

' 5. In a ditching machine, the combinationof a substantially circular frame, a pair of swivel bearings supportedon opposite, sides of the frame, a `pair of shafts rotatably mounted in said swivel bearings, a plurality of cutter discs mounted on vsaid shafts, said cutter discs being of different diameters With the cutters of larger diameters toward the to the frame at the rear side, said chains rear, means including chains connecting the cooperating to permit the shafts and cutters l0 rear ends of the shafts with the forward side to swing toward the rear when the direction of the frame and limiting the movement of of pullupon the frame is reversed.

the shafts rearwardly, and means including Signed at Los Angeles, California, this chains attached to the rear ends of said 14 day of June 1926. I shafts extending in the opposite direction from the rst-named chains and connected VILLIAM H. MCDONALD. 

